Help Connect Update Community Space

Hello! We are Connect, a group of young adults that hosts weekly activities and events to foster friendships and give back to the local community. We meet at the historic Embury United Methodist Church building in Cambridge, NY every Friday evening to play board games, eat good food, and ask hard questions. Gracie Lynn Besse, a Cambridge local, started the group in 2017.

The church was built in 1788 and was the second Methodist church organized in this country, but unfortunately, it was closed in 2016. Rather than the building sitting empty and dormant, Connect made its way into the space to turn it back into a gathering place. In its nearly two and a half centuries, the building has been through some repairs and replacements but is now in desperate need of updates.

The funds we raise will be used to install two heat pump units (mini splits) that will supplement the existing oil-fired boiler so that we can keep heating costs low. We will also be using the funds to weatherize the building by adding caulking, weather strips, and spray foam insulation where necessary and updating the electrical outlets.

“Connect provides a relaxed and welcoming environment for young adults to exchange ideas and widen our understanding of each other and the world. We unravel controversial topics with humor and sincerity. Especially in a time of such disconnection, this group manages to come together and create a community of passionate individuals that hail from not only Cambridge and Salem, but Saratoga, Cohoes, Bennington, Manchester, and beyond.” says Gracie Lynn.

In the past, Connect has held Second Sunday Speakers, Mac n’ Cheese Cookoffs, Block Parties, yard sales, and Indian cuisine nights for its members and Cambridge locals. This year, we plan to add cooking classes, sketching and paint nights, fitness classes, and other activities to our list. Our hope is that these updates will help make the building more accessible so that other groups and individuals in Cambridge and the surrounding areas can use the building as well.

Please consider donating what you can so that we can keep this historic gem and our community thriving. Feel free to visit our social media to learn more about Connect, its members, and our upcoming events and activities. We thank you for your generosity and support!